Package and merchandising system

ABSTRACT

A package and product merchandising system comprising the package. The package includes a package wall which in turn includes a display element visible from the exterior of the package. The package includes a power receiving element operably connected to the display element. The system includes a sensor, a power distribution element, and a controller, operably connected to each of the sensor and to the power distribution element. The controller receives an output of the sensor as an input and provides a first output profile to the power distribution element, the power distribution element receives the output profile from the controller and provides a power profile to the power receiving element. The power receiving element provides a characteristic change profile to the display element. The display element changes at least one characteristic in response to the characteristic change profile.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

A product package used for merchandising the product and a systemincorporating the package. Particularly, a package and merchandisingsystem for interactive shopping environments.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The volume of different products offered in any product categorychallenges marketers to find ways of obtaining the attention ofpotential purchasers. Labels, colors, shapes and other packageattributes are well known tools for passively attracting the attentionof a shopper. What is desired is an active system for drawing theattention of a shopper to the offerings of the marketer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, a package comprises a package wall, a display elementintegral to the package wall and visible from the exterior of thepackage. The package further comprises a power receiving elementoperably connected to the display element. The display element changes acharacteristic according to a first characteristic change profilereceived from the power receiving element.

In another aspect, a product merchandising system comprises a sensordisposed to detect the presence of a target. The sensor provides anoutput upon detecting the target. The system also includes a packagecomprising a package wall, a display element integral to the packagewall and visible from the exterior of the package, and a power receivingelement integral to the package and operably connected to the displayelement. The system includes a power distribution element, and acontroller. The controller is operably connected to the sensor and tothe power distribution element. The controller receives the output ofthe sensor as an input and provides an output profile to the powerdistribution element. The power distribution element receives the outputprofile from the controller and provides a power profile to the powerreceiving element.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 provides a schematic perspective view of a package according toone embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 provides a schematic illustration of a merchandising systemaccording to one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As illustrated in the figure, a package 100 comprises a package wall110. The package 100 may comprise a plurality of package walls 110. Thepackage may be formed from any packaging materials as these are known inthe art. Exemplary packaging material include: paperboard and corrugatedpaperboard, metal foils, polymeric materials, wood, metallocene filmsand composite material formed from combinations thereof. The packagewall 110 includes a display element 120. Exemplary display elements 120include electroluminescent elements organic light emitting diodes,thermo chromic elements and combinations of these. The display elementmay comprise elements printed upon the package wall 110 or upon a labelaffixed to the package wall 110. The disposition of display element 120makes it visible from the exterior of the package 100. The displayelement may comprise a portion of an exterior surface of the package100, or the nature of the package 100 may permit the viewing of thedisplay element 120 disposed upon an interior surface of the package viaa transparent or semi-transparent exterior surface of the package 100. Atransparent or semi-transparent surface may comprise all or only aportion of one or more exterior surfaces of the package 100.

The display element 120 may comprise an indicia or a portion of anindicia. The display element may serve as an outline or penumbra of anindicia or a portion of an indicia. The indicia may comprise text orgraphics and may relate to the package contents of to other items. Theindicia may be printed upon the package, molded into the wall of thepackage, or otherwise formed into the package wall as is known in theart. The indicia may comprise branding information associated with thepackage contents or associated with a co-marketing effort. The indiciamay be associated with a product attribute or with a product performanceattribute. Exemplary product attributes include textual descriptors suchas new, better, stronger, whiter, more concentrated, fat free, caffeinefree, less calories, and flavor indicators. Exemplary productperformance attributes include textual descriptors, cleans, brightens,whitens, colors, instant, long lasting, and permanent. Graphicalillustrations of the above delineated descriptors are also consideredindicia.

Display element 120 may comprise all or part of any of the indiciadescribed above. Display element 120 may comprise a penumbra adjacent toor near the described indicia to outline or highlight the indicia.

The package 100 further comprises a power receiving element 130. Powerreceiving element 130 is operably connected to the display element. Thedisplay element 120 changes a characteristic according to a powerprofile received from the power receiving element 130. The power profileproduces a characteristic change in the display element 120 and may beconsidered a characteristic change profile.

The package 100 may comprise multiple display elements 120 and multiplepower receiving elements 130. A single power receiving element 130 mayprovide a characteristic change profile to one or more of the displayelements 120. Multiple respective power profiles may be provided to thepackage 100 via the respective power receiving elements 130. The receiptof respective characteristic change profiles may enable the packagedisplay elements to change characteristics according to a predeterminedpattern or according to a randomized pattern due to the provision of asequence of power profiles.

The characteristic change of the display element 120 may comprise achange in the luminosity, color, or both, of the display element 120. Inone embodiment, at least a portion of display element 120 changes from afirst color to a second color according to the characteristic changeprofile.

In one embodiment the package 100 comprises an integral power source(not shown). The power source (not shown) provides power to the powerreceiving element 130 and thereby to the display element 120. Solarpanels and chemical battery cells are exemplary integral power elements(not shown).

In one embodiment the package 100 comprises a control element 150. Thecontrol element 150 is operably connected between the power receivingelement 130 and the display element 120. The control element 150comprises a control circuit which may alter a characteristic changeprofile received from the power receiving element 130. In one embodimentthe control element 150 provides a characteristic change profile to thedisplay element 120 in response to power received from the powerreceiving element 130. In this embodiment the power received may berepresented by an idealized step function wherein the power is intendedto either be on or off. This received power is subsequently modified bythe control element to provide a characteristic modifying profile to thedisplay element 120. Exemplary profiles include, sinusoidal, saw-tooth,a segmented step function to alternate between providing and denyingpower transfer and other control signal patterns as are known in theart.

In one embodiment the control element 150 provides a plurality ofprofiles to a plurality of display elements 120 to orchestrate a seriesof characteristic changes in the package. The package 100 may comprise aportion of a merchandising system 1000. The system 1000 may furthercomprise a sensor 200 to provide a signal according to the presence of ashopper in a predetermined location relative to a package display area.Exemplary sensors 200 include, retro-reflective and through beamelectromagnetic sensors, induction loop sensors to detect the presenceof a metal shopping cart, load cell based sensors to detect the weightof a shopper at a particular location and other sensors as are known inthe art.

The system 1000 comprises at least one power distribution element 300disposed to transfer power to one or more packages 100 arrayed adjacentto the power distribution element 300. The power transfer may be viainduction, conduction, acoustic energy transfer, radiative energytransfer, and other energy transfer means as are known in the art. Inone embodiment the system 1000 comprises a plurality of powerdistribution elements 300. In this embodiment, the system provides aplurality of power profiles to the package 100. Each respective powerprofile is provided via a respective power distribution element 300.

In one embodiment the system 1000 comprises a controller 400. Thecontroller 400 is disposed to accept a signal from the sensor 200relating to the presence of a shopper. The controller 400 may provideone or more output profiles to the power distribution element 300according to the sensor signal. The controller 400 may comprise one ormore profile programs which serve as a basis for the output profilesprovided by the controller 400. The respective programmed profiles maybe provided as outputs according to the nature of the input signal andby providing input signal s from a plurality of sensors 200 according tovarying environmental conditions, the controller 400 may provideenvironmentally sensitive output profiles to the power distributionelement 300. Each of the respective power distribution elements 300 maybe disposed at a separate discrete location.

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood asbeing strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead,unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean boththe recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding thatvalue. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean“about 40 mm.”

All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, inrelevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of anydocument is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior artwith respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning ordefinition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning ordefinition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, themeaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shallgovern.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in theart that various other changes and modifications can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is thereforeintended to cover in the appended claims all such changes andmodifications that are within the scope of this invention.

1. A package comprising: a) a package wall, b) a display element integral to the package wall and visible from the exterior of the package, c) a power receiving element operably connected to the display element wherein the display element changes a characteristic according to a first characteristic change profile received from the power receiving element.
 2. The package according to claim 1 wherein the display element comprises a portion of an indicia.
 3. The package according to claim 1 wherein the display element outlines at least a portion of an indicia.
 4. The package according to claim 1 wherein the appearance of at least a portion of the display element changes from a first color to a second color in response to changes in power from the power receiving element.
 5. The package according to claim 1 further comprising a power source element operably connected to the power receiving element.
 6. The package according to claim 1 further comprising a control circuit integral to a package wall, the control circuit operably connected between the power receiving element and the display element, wherein the control circuit profiles the change in characteristic of the display element upon receiving power from the power receiving element.
 7. The package according to claim 1 wherein the display element is associated with a product attribute.
 8. The package according to claim 1 wherein the display element relates to a product performance attribute.
 9. The package according to claim 1 comprising a second display element, wherein the Second display element changes a characteristic in response to changes in power received from the power receiving element according to a second characteristic change profile.
 10. A product merchandising system comprising: a) a sensor disposed to detect the presence of a target, the sensor providing an output upon such detection; b) a package comprising: i) a package wall, ii) a display element integral to the package wall and visible from the exterior of the package, iii) a power receiving element integral to the package and operably connected to the display element, c) a power distribution element, and d) a controller, operably connected to the sensor and to the power distribution element, wherein the controller receives the output of the sensor as an input and provides a first output profile to the power distribution element, the power distribution element receives the output profile from the controller and provides a power profile to the power receiving element.
 11. The product merchandising system according to claim 10 wherein power is conducted from the power distribution element to the power receiving element.
 12. The product merchandising system according to claim 10 wherein power is induced in the power receiving element by the power distribution element.
 13. The product merchandising system according to claim 10 wherein the display element comprises a portion of an indicia.
 14. The package according to claim 10 wherein the display element outlines at least a portion of an indicia.
 15. The product merchandising system according to claim 10 wherein the power distribution element is operably connected to the package at a first locations, the system further comprising a secondary power distribution element operably connected to the package at a second location.
 16. The product merchandising system according to claim 10 wherein the display element is associated with a product attribute.
 17. The product merchandising system according to claim 10 wherein the display element relates to a product performance attribute.
 18. The product merchandising system according to claim 10 the package comprising a second display element.
 19. The product merchandising system according to claim 10 wherein the controller provides a second output profile, the first profile altering the appearance of the first display element and the second profile altering the appearance of the second display element.
 20. A product merchandising system comprising: a) a sensor disposed to detect the presence of a target, the sensor providing an output upon such detection; b) a package comprising: i) a package wall, ii) a display element integral to the package wall and visible from the exterior of the package, iii) a power receiving element integral to the package and operably connected to the display element, c) a power distribution element, and d) a controller, operably connected to the sensor and to the power distribution element, wherein the controller receives the output of the sensor as an input and provides a characteristic change output profile to the power distribution element, wherein the power distribution element receives the output profile from the controller and provides power to the power receiving element according to the output profile, the display element receives power from the power receiving element according to the output profile, changes a characteristic according to the received profile, and the display element comprises an indicia. 